Leadership
by Corration
Summary: After his grandparents leave the world, Littlefoot sets out on a quest to find his father, but he meets a herd along the way.
1. Chapter 1

A young brownish Apatosaurus with brown eyes hid in the darkness of the cave from the sharptooth that hunted him. On his first day out on his quest, he didn't expect any sharpteeth. Well, at least until the second or third day. He stayed out of sight before the tyrannosaurs finally gave up and left the cave.

That was close, he thought to himself. Need to be more careful.

The dinosaur's name was Littlefoot. This courageous longneck was in search for his father. Both of his grandparents had passed on a few days ago. Being so young and needing a caregiver, his only choice was to find his father. He left the Great Valley, following his heart more than his eyes.

I hope the others will be fine without me, he thought. As long as they don't follow me, they'll be safe. It's too dangerous out here.

Littlefoot continued to walk along the cave's pathway. Sooner or later, he was bound to find an exit. The cave's walls and stalagmites were all looking the same as he tried to find a way out. He finally did and ran out of the cave joyfully.

The bright sun blurred his vision for a second. He had been in the cave for so long that his eyes needed to adjust. When his vision became clear, he noticed a group of trees surrounded by a shriveling pond. He decided that it was time to stop and relax a bit before he continued.

He ran to the reachable trees and starting munching away. As he ate, memories of what took place a few days ago crept into his mind.

* * *

><p>"Grandpa! Grandma!"<p>

Littlefoot had awoken as the bright circle begun to rise. He was surprised his grandparents weren't awake. They usually woke him up first. He tried again calling their names. Only Grandma Longneck opened her eyes.

"Grandma, Grandpa is not awake," Littlefoot stated.

Grandma Longneck looked at her husband and noticed he wasn't breathing. She tried to get up, but she couldn't find the strength to do so. She faced Littlefoot.

"Littlefoot, I need to tell you something."

Her voice sounded depressed and weak.

"What?" he asked, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Little one, Grandpa has joined your mother, and so must I."

It didn't take long to process the information he heard. He looked at Grandpa and walked up to him. He rubbed his head on his cheek with tears running down his cheeks. He then faced Grandma and walked up to her.

"But Grandma, I don't want you to go."

"Don't be afraid. When time comes, the bright circle takes us to a better place. Our time here is fulfilled."

"No, it isn't! You need to take care of me."

"Littlefoot, you have grown so much. During the times of your adventures, you survived without our help most times. We did our job to bring you into our lives through your mother and protected you when she passed away. Now, you have grown so much. You now feed yourself, bathe yourself, and get out of trouble by yourself without us. We did our job, and the sky commands us to go."

"The sky isn't so smart then. I still need you."

Grandma Longneck chuckled. She rubbed her grandson's forehead before drifting off to an eternal sleep. Littlefoot looked at his grandparents and cried. Now, he was truly alone.

Later that day, the rest of the dinosaurs held a memorial to honor their leaders. They had been the valley's rational side and had helped the valley in danger for several years. Mr. Threehorn appeared to be the second saddest next to Littlefoot.

"Longneck, I'll miss ya."

Littlefoot sat on a ledge, watching the ceremony from above. His friends were next to him to try to comfort him, but none said a word. They knew Littlefoot was in pain. Finally, Cera, a young yellowish triceratops, spoke up.

"Littlefoot, I know it's hard, but you must accept it. When I learned that my mother died, I had to move on because of her. She would have wanted me to."

"First my mother, and now my grandparents," he said sadly.

"Littlefoot," said Ducky, a green Parasaurolophus. "I…I am sorry for your grandparents, but cheer up. You are not alone. You have us."

"But I need a parent."

"You still have your dad," said Petrie, a brown Pteranodon.

Littlefoot began to cheer up a little, but his happiness went away quickly.

"I don't know where he is, Petrie."

Petrie was ashamed he brought up the thought. It made his friend gloomier.

"It's almost time," said Cera, looking down. "The longnecks are going to put them in the Cave of the Remembered. Littlefoot, you should be there for your grandparents. They've always been there for you."

Littlefoot nodded and headed down to be at his grandparents' side for one last time. The others followed. Littlefoot reached the group of adults as they pushed his grandparents on slippery stones to push them easily to the cave. The adults, who weren't able to help, comfort Liittlefoot. Petrie's mother hugged him and looked into his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Littlefoot."

He didn't reply. He walked up next to his grandparents as the others finally got them on the rocky sleds. Littlefoot walked next to his caretakers as they were being pushed. A trail of tears was left behind them.

That night, Littlefoot laid on a rock, away from everyone. The adults had offered him places for him to stay, but he refused. He hid himself from everyone and just looked up at the sky.

Soon, he heard whispers. He lifted his head, realizing that he heard his grandpa's voice.

"Littlefoot."

"Grandpa?"

"Littlefoot, try not to be sad. Our time on this world was over, and we needed to go. You are still young, but you will soon grow up and understand. Though we can't see us, all three of us are watching you."

"That's right, Dear."

"Mother?"

"Follow your heart."

"I think it's broken."

"Let your heart guide you to your father."

Littlefoot thought about it. His mother's voice continued whispering.

"You are still young to go off by yourself, but that doesn't stop you. Find your father, my son. He will finish teaching you what you need to do in life, like me, Grandma, and Grandpa did."

The voices died. Littlefoot got on his feet and looked at the sky. He exhaled deeply and nodded. That night, he left the Great Valley to find his father.

* * *

><p>Littlefoot decided to keep on moving. His heart told him the journey was long. He sighed and continued to march on. The sun beat down on him as he remembered the times he spent with his grandparents. Memories replayed over and over again.<p>

Soon, he came up to fissure in the Earth. His heart told him he needed to get across. He looked around for something to make a bridge out of, but no trees were that long to clear the gap. He looked around and saw that walking around it would take the rest of the day. Since it was the only option, he walked along the fissure to find out where it closed.

As he walked, he tried to think what his friends were up to. Littlefoot made sure he left no trails so they wouldn't follow him. As much as he hated to admit it, he must not rely on his friends help. He cared about their safety and didn't want them to follow him. They had always done so and risked their lives to save him. He needed to do this alone this time.

As the bright circle hid itself behind the mountains, he continued his quest. He was not going to rest now. That would only slow him down. He would stop walking when the moon was high above the sky. By doing so, he could cover more ground and be closer to his dad's unmoving herd.

Littlefoot looked over the top of a hill. He looked around and noticed a herd of longnecks resting. He smiled and ran down in excitement. His quest was near the end. He got closer and closer. He mistook a longneck for his dad. He greeted the longneck. It opened its dull eye.

"What is this?"

Littlefoot heard that voice before. He gulped. The elder longneck rose up, awaking the others. Littlefoot took a few steps back. The elder looked down at him.

"It's you."

The elder seemed irritated.

"Hi, Old One."

"If I remember, you're that baby longneck from my cousin who always got in trouble. Tell me. How is she?"

He looked at the ground.

"I see. For a young one, you have traveled far. It's best if you get some shuteye."

Littlefoot looked at the Old One and smiled.

"Thank you."

The Old One didn't respond and went back to sleep. Littlefoot sighed in disappointment. Then his frown was gone. Someone had tapped his cheek.

"Littlefoot."

"Ali. It's great to see you."

"C'mon. You can sleep with me and my mother tonight."

Littlefoot followed the light purplish Apatosaurus with blue eyes. She was the only female longneck Littlefoot knew. If it wasn't for her, Littlefoot's grandpa wouldn't have an earlier death. She was smart and courageous like him, even though sometimes she seemed dimwitted.

They got to her mother. She welcomed Littlefoot quickly and said that he must rest up. Tomorrow would be a busy day. He agreed and slept beside Ali. It almost felt like he had a family again.

* * *

><p>Almost a year had passed since Littlefoot joined Ali's herd. In that time, he had grown bigger and wiser. The Old One would consult with him on which direction they would go since age was getting the best of her. He would also save the herd from perilous trails and encourage them to move. He had nurtured them and saved them from starvation and dehydration. Littlefoot was growing to be a fine leader.<p>

Ali had also matured with Littlefoot, but she would tease with him to break the ice. She admired Littlefoot's nature leadership. She had spent more and more time with him. Ali's mother didn't mind and would smile every time they were together.

Littlefoot had not given up his quest to find his father. Just because he grew doesn't mean he didn't need a parent. He needed to find his father and convince him to merge herds. If that failed, he needed to spend as much time with his father. Ali's herd had been the family he sought. The Old One reminded him of his grandpa. Ali's mother reminded him of his mother. Ali was a good friend like his old ones.

As they marched on, he ran up to the Old One.

"Um, Old One?"

"What is it, child?" she asked as she continued to walk.

"I've been having dreams. Dreams like when I was a kid about the bright circle."

"Same here. These dreams are omens that we must fulfill. The sun will be blocked by the dark circle again, and we must push the dark circle out of the way."

"But why do we do it? Isn't it just part of the circle of life?"

"Nonsense! The dark figure is angry with the sun, so it comes to cover the sun up!"

Littlefoot decided not to argue with her anymore. One of the times he supposedly pushed the dark circle, his brain thought of the idea that it was natural. He talked to Grandpa and Grandma Longneck. One time that a solar eclipse happened, he convinced them to stay. They proceeded with life and marveled at the circle blocking the bright circle. Littlefoot thought on what the dark circle might be. After a while, he concluded that it was the circle in the night sky. It was the only thing big enough in the sky to cover it up. He decided to not tell his grandparents. Staying behind had shaken them up already. That was the last time they saw the event.

The Old One led the herd to the valley she saw in her dreams. Littlefoot walked back and joined up with Ali. She noticed he felt a little down and asked what's wrong. Littlefoot also didn't want Ali to think he was crazy, even though his heart told him he was right. The best he could come up with is that he hoped his father was there.

"I know my dad is strong, but what if…"

"He'll be there," she said and rubbed his cheek with her forehead.

He smiled. Ali had shown the biggest support for him since he joined the herd. When he felt down, especially in the beginning, she always managed to cheer him up and be by his side through the worst of time. When he was sick with a cold, she provided food and warmth for him. She had always been there for him, and he had always been there for her.

"Littlefoot, do you know how far we are?"

"A couple of days," he quickly replied. "I haven't been in this area before, but I'm sure it's near."

"How can you be sure?"

"It's like my mother told me. Listen to your heart; it speaks to you when you are willing to listen. I just believe."

"Your mother seemed wise and faithful."

"She was. She always encouraged me to move on, even after her death. Because of her, I found the Great Valley and my grandparents."

"She loved you like any mother would. I think because of her, you are who you are. You compassion for others, even if they're different, you always help if you can. Your mother must have thought the same."

"She protected Cera from the sharptooth when we were still venturing to the Great Valley."

Ali smiled.

"Littlefoot, I hope your heart never changes. It's true and pure. Sometimes you get out of hand though."

He looked at her curiously.

"Like when?"

"Like the time you chased a little one when he ate your food."

"It took me a while to find the food."

"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes. "Remember, I helped you. It only took a short time."

"Oh yeah."

Ali shook her head and faced forward.

The herd continued to walk until the Old One stopped. Littlefoot quickly ran to the front and asked the Old One why she stopped. She was about to say something when she collapsed. She looked up at Littlefoot weakly. He knew what was going on.

"My eternal rest is here," she announced.

Ali and her mother made their way to the front.

"Littlefoot, you know the way to the valley. Lead my herd there."

"But I'm still young."

"Oh? Well, you have the fine leadership of an adult."

She paused and coughed.

"You've helped this herd so much since you joined," she continued. "I know you have the skills of a true leader. Littlefoot, I need you to lead them."

Littlefoot nodded. The Old One smiled and closed her eyes. The longnecks lowered their heads in loss of their leader.

"Goodbye," Littlefoot said. "Say hi to my grandparents for me."

Littlefoot lifted his head and looked at the herd. Most of the longnecks were bigger than he was, but he wasn't afraid.

"I… We must continue. The Old One would have wanted us to. Let's go."

The others close by the Old One had heard her giving leadership to Littlefoot and followed. Ali walked up to her friend.

"Littlefoot, we need rest. Others are still mourning."

"But Ali, don't you smell them? We're in sharptooth territory. If we rest now, the sharpteeth will get us. We need to pass the area until I know it's safe."

Ali looked around and noticed fleshy creatures with sharp teeth looking at them from high above a rock formation. She gasped and looked a Littlefoot. He was focused on walking, so it seemed he wasn't aware of their presence. Ali was about to tell him something aloud, but he stopped her.

"They won't attack as long as we stick together. We outnumber them. If we do scatter, they'll pick at us easier. As a group, we overpower them."

Ali understood and remained next to Littlefoot. She looked at the clouds as they rolled by and saw one shaped like a was moving slowly to another cloud shaped like a small group of longnecks. She grinned and looked at the path ahead of her.

Night came sooner than expected. Littlefoot determined that they were out of sharptooth territory and allowed the herd to rest. The longnecks were relived and drank some of the water a nearby ditch provided them. This might have been due to the heavy skywater they had many days ago.

All were asleep except for one longneck. He was on guard duty until the night circle was high above them. Then it would be Littlefoot's turn. The longneck circled the herd and kept a watchful eye out. He noticed a few sharpteeth (raptors) a few miles away from them, but they didn't move towards them. It appears that they were eating some meat.

The bluish longneck knew they were devouring their former leader and looked away. He wanted to pounce on them, but that was pointless. Their leader had died of old age, so her life wasn't taken away by sharpteeth. It was only natural that her body was going to be consumed by the raptors that followed them.

The moon was high above the night sky. The longneck walked over to their new leader and told him that it was his turn. Littlefoot got up and nodded. The longneck walked to his wife to get some sleep. Careful not to wake Ali, he crept out of the middle of the herd to the edge of the herd. He yawned and looked at the landscape.

The grassy lands seemed tranquil at night. The raptors the longneck saw were gone. Littlefoot sat down and looked up at the sky. The rainbow faces he met told that life was full of mysteries. To his standards, he just solved one. Though no one believed him, he knew he was right. If his grandparents were here, they would back him up.

It did matter to Littlefoot that he was right, but he was also glad the others would not understand. He knew his father would be there. The person he sought for so long would be at the Valley of Longnecks.

He noticed something lurking in the shadows. It hid behind the trees, staking some prey. Littlefoot quickly walked over to face who it was. The raptors had moved from their spot and were strategically stalking its prey. Littlefoot felt he was big enough to take down the three raptors that now surrounded him.

"There's no way I'm letting you through."

The raptors cautiously walked up to Littlefoot until one ran at him. He whipped it with his tail, and it fell back. The other two jumped up to attack. Littlefoot grabbed one with his tail and swung it towards the other one. Both laid on the ground.

The one he whipped got up and sprinted at the longneck. Littlefoot whipped it again, but it dodged his tail. It jumped up at his face and grazed his claws on Littlefoot's neck as Littlefoot dodged it.

The three raptors were up now and hissed at him. They charged at Littlefoot and jumped at him. All of them received a tail whip from a bigger longneck. Littlefoot looked to see who it was and saw Ali's mother. Ali was next to her.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Ali.

The hungry raptors sprinted at the bigger longneck. Littlefoot head-butted two of them at the same time. Ali's mother grabbed the one charging for her with her tail and threw it towards the other two. The raptors got up and hissed. They ran away from the herd, hungry. Ali and her mother walked over to Littlefoot.

"You okay?" asked Ali's mother.

"I think so."

The first rays of the sun appeared. Because of them, Ali saw the slash, He would recover, but the thought of almost losing him taunted her mind. She rubbed his cheek while a tear rolled down her cheek.

Littlefoot felt the drop of water. He didn't understand why she cried, but he remembered the raptor almost slashing his throat. It barely missed, but he felt claws digging into his scales. She must have seen the scars.

"Ali, I promise I'm alright."

"But Littlefoot, the scars."

"I know, but I'll live. You don't have to worry. I'll always be here."

"Littlefoot," interrupted Ali's mother, "we must go. The bright circle is rising, and those sharpteeth will return in greater numbers."

Littlefoot understood. He lifted his head away from Ali and faced her.

"I'm alright."

The three longnecks walked back to join the herd.

* * *

><p>Finally, the herd was entering the valley, which was a crater. They had been walking for two days. Lucky for them no sharpteeth appeared. They walked into the fruitful valley and were welcomed by the longnecks there. The herd sighed in relief and respected Littlefoot for bringing them here.<p>

Ali and Littlefoot walked around. She noticed he was looking for someone. She noticed his face lit up. He must have found the dinosaur. He walked up to a green Brachiosaurs that was as tall as him but older.

"Shorty," greeted Littlefoot.

"Is that you? Man, I thought I was going to be bigger. Oh well."

Ali looked at Littlefoot and then at Shorty. Probably they were friends.

"Ali, this is Shorty, my foster brother,"

She was stunned to hear the word 'brother' but greeted Shorty respectfully.

"Hi."

Shorty looked at her and then Littlefoot and then back to her. He smiled.

"Hi ya."

"Shorty, have you seen dad?"

"Um, he's somewhere. Probably by the water."

"Thanks."

Littlefoot and Ali left. Shorty walked in the opposite direction to find a tree to eat the leaves off of it.

"I thought he was going to be a friend, but I wasn't expecting you to say brother. He's a longneck but a different kind."

"He was adopted by my dad when we were younger."

Littlefoot spotted a tall, brown eyed Apatosaurus with a darker brown color that looked like him. He was drinking some water. Littlefoot smiled and walked over to the longneck.

"Dad."

The longneck turned around and greeted his son.

"Littlefoot, is that you?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Son, you had me worried. I came and visited the Great Valley to see how you were doing. They told me about your grandparents' deaths. When I asked about you, they hadn't seen you for many days. You worried me. I thought I lost you."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was looking for you, because Grandpa and Grandma wanted me to. I was alone. So I left the Great Valley, but soon I met up with my friend's herd and stayed. Dad, this is Ali."

His father looked at the female longneck that appeared to be Littlefoot's age. She smiled.

"Nice to meet you sir."

"Call me Bron. Have you been keeping my son out of trouble? He's quite the adventurer."

"I know. Sometimes he gets out of hand, but I'm there to make it right."

Bron laughed as Littlefoot blushed. Ali looked at him and smiled. Littlefoot's blush faded, and he addressed his dad.

"Dad, before they left, my grandparents told me to find you for my final lessons of life."

"I think you have, son. You led a herd here safely. The only skills I could teach you were leadership and responsibility, but it seems you understand them."

Littlefoot thought about it. Probably everything happened to train him. Bumping into Ali's herd was no coincidence. His grandparents and mother maybe encouraged him to leave the Great Valley.

"Maybe you're right."

"Son, I'm proud of you. You've grown to be a fine leader."

Littlefoot nodded, "Thanks Dad."

* * *

><p>A few months passed since the solar eclipse and departing from his father once again. Littlefoot lead his herd through the trails of the mysterious beyond. Now they were close. Littlefoot never wanted to go back, but he had to. He just hoped no one recognized him. Ali sensed that he was tense.<p>

"Is something wrong?"

"It's been a while. I'm nervous."

"Littlefoot, I'm sure they will welcome you with open arms."

They cleared the pathway and stopped. Littlefoot was startled at what he saw. The Great Valley had died.


	2. Chapter 2

The barren wasteland Littlefoot once called home looked as depressing as the Mysterious Beyond. Littlefooot took a few steps forward. Ali followed him. He looked around in disbelief.

"The valley. It's all gone."

"Where do we go now?" asked one of the longnecks.

"Relax for now," said Littlefoot. "I'm going to check around."

Ali and Littlefoot left the herd. They walked around to see what might have caused it. Littlefoot walked up to the dried riverbank and traced it up to the waterfall. He followed the dry canal high into the mountains and finally stopped. The canal continued going into the Mysterious Beyond. Something outside must have caused the river to dry up. Ali looked up at Littlefoot.

"The water stopped," he said. "It must have killed the trees and plants here."

"The others then probably left to find food and water."

"Too bad they didn't leave a trail," sighed Littlefoot. "The night sky is coming, so I guess we'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we leave."

* * *

><p>The sun rose high above them as they marched onward in search for water. The longnecks grew weak, but Littlefoot encouraged them to press on. Only with hope they would find a place to eat and drink.<p>

"Littlefoot," said a grayish longneck, "the old ones are having some trouble keeping up. If we don't find any water soon, our herd will lose some numbers."

"I'm aware of that, Tyson."

Littlefoot sniffed the air. He suddenly stopped. The others stopped, hoping what he found would benefit them. Ali looked at Littlefoot. He looked towards the sandy hill and climbed over it. His eyes feasted on the landscape he saw. The others climbed the hill and were astonished what they saw. The sun reflected off the canal beautifully as the canal gave the land life. Littlefoot smiled.

"Welcome home."

The longnecks ran down to the canal to drink the crystal clear water while Ali and Littlefoot watched them. He faced Ali and accompanied her down to the water. She was the first out of the two to take a drink. He looked around and took a drink.

"What are you doing, Longneck?"

Littlefoot recognized the voice and looked at the gray triceratops. Next to him was a grown yellow triceratops with green eyes.

"We're a migrating herd in search-"

"Take your herd and leave! Longnecks are not welcomed in this valley."

"We have much right to be here as you do," said Liittlefoot. "There's plenty of green food to go around."

"Beat it," said the yellow triceratops. "As my dad said, no longnecks are allowed."

"It's you," said Littlefoot.

The yellow triceratops looked at Littlefoot curiously.

"Cera," Littlefoot continued, "and you're Topsy, er, I mean Mr. Threehorn."

"How do you know my name?"

"Mr. Threehorn, if I explain, would you be willing to let my herd sleep here tonight?"

"Are you kidding-"

"Dad."

Mr. Threehorn looked at his daughter's pleading eyes. He then looked at Littlefoot.

"Fine, but only for tonight. You now owe me an explanation on who you are."

"Well, you see. It's been a long time since I left the Great Valley. You remembered a longneck with Grandpa Longneck and Grandma Longneck?"

Both of their eyes widened.

"Littlefoot?"

He nodded.

"It can't be," said Cera.

Ali walked over to see what the commotion was about.

"What's going on, Littlefoot?"

"Ali?" wondered Cera.

Ali looked at Cera and smiled.

"Cera! It's good to see you."

"Then it is true," said Cera. "You're Littlefoot."

"Mr. Threehorn, tell me what happened to the Great Valley."

* * *

><p>A year after Littlefoot left, a massive earthquake occurred. The termers were felt by the citizens of the Great Valley, but no damage was seen. After the termers, the waterfall dried up. Confused on what to do, the dinosaurs left the valley. They knew it was a matter of time before the Great Valley's plants would die.<p>

After a few days of scavenging for water, Mr. Threehorn blamed everyone else for the water drainage in the Great Valley. He challenged every herd until all got frustrated with each other. The adults agreed that every herd was on its own and parted ways.

After a day of walking, Cera, Tricia, Topsy, and Trina met a group of lost threehorns. Topsy took over and lead the herd. Soon, he discovered this home. He only allowed threehorns to stay while shunning everyone else.

"Some story," said Ali.

"I know. It seems Mr. Threehorn was the one who caused everyone to go their own way."

"Cera's father seemed uneasy to welcome us, but he seemed shock to see you."

Littlefoot sighed.

"I need to put everyone back together. If water flows in the Great Valley again, it will be back to normal."

"But it's not your responsibility," said Ali.

"I know, but if my grandparents were here, they would try to keep the herd together. I feel I must do the same. It'll make my grandparents proud."

"But do you know where the earthquake started?"

Littlefoot swayed his head from side to side, thinking. He stopped when he found an answer.

"No, but if I follow the river's path, I'll eventually find the reason why it stopped."

Ali looked at his eyes and saw the determination. She knew he would have to leave the herd. She looked down at the ground and then looked up at him.

"You can't do it by yourself. I'm going with you."

"No. It's too dangerous. If anything happens to you, then I don't know what I'll do."

She thought about it and found a counter argument.

"Well, if I'm with you, you can always make sure I'm safe."

Stunned, Littlefoot thought what she just said. It was true and made a lot of sense. Now, he regretted telling her his concern about her safety.

"Well?" she inquired with a smile.

Littlefoot and she knew she won the argument. Littlefoot looked at her.

"Fine. We leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

><p>"Tyson, I want you to lead the herd as I take my leave. I need to fix something."<p>

"But Littlefoot, it's unethical for the leader to leave the herd."

"Tyson, that's why in my absence, I grant you full leadership. You had served as my second-in-command for the past while now. You know what makes a leader a leader. I'm sure you will do fine. Just follow your heart, and it will guide you to a happier place. For my last instructions to you, wait until you see the bright circle rise from the horizon fifteen times. Then, make your way to the Great Valley. Ali and I will be there."

Tyson nodded.

"We will miss you. Take care and come back safely."

"You too, Tyson."

Littlefoot and Ali left the herd. Littlefoot knew that his herd will be alright under Tyson. Ever since he took over for the Old One, he made Tyson his second-in-command. He told him that if he was ever to leave, Tyson would take over. Littlefoot had seen. The young longneck grew into a clever leader. The herd was in good hands.

Littlefoot and Ali were a mile away from the valley of the triceratops until they heard something running towards them. They both looked behind them and noticed a triceratops running towards them. The two longnecks smiled as their old friend confronted them.

"You guys aren't leaving without me. Knowing you two, you'll get lost."

"Nice to see your pride hasn't gone away, Cera," said Littlefoot.

"Now, c'mon. The Great Valley is a day in that direction. I'll lead you there."

"Lead the way," said Littlefoot, amusing Cera.

As Cera marched in front of them, Littlefoot chuckled to himself.

The three friends made it back to the Great Valley by nightfall. Littlefoot was too concern to travel at night so they slept near the outskirts of the Great Valley next to the dry canal. Cera slept peacefully and a few feet away from the longnecks to give them some privacy.

"Littlefoot, you should get some rest," said Ali.

He head was on Littlefoot's back.

"I know, but I've been thinking."

"You need to give that head of yours a rest from thinking."

Littlefoot smiled and faced Ali.

"It's just that I'm wondering where the others went."

"I'm sure there fine. You know them. Look at Cera. She came out fine."

"I guess."

"Once we find the problem, everything will be right. Now, get some shuteye. You need your rest. I know you haven't been sleeping well for the past few nights. I want you to sleep well tonight."

Littlefoot nodded and rubbed Ali's cheek. She was fully content and drifted to sleep. Littlefoot laid his head on the cool ground. Probably Ali was right. If he fixed the problem, he would see all of his childhood friends again. He closed his eyes to get some well-deserved rest.

* * *

><p>Littlefoot, Ali, and Cera walked down the river's path. It was the only trail to find the truth on what happened to the water. The hot sun glared down at them, not wanting them to find the answer. Still, Littlefoot and the others kept going. He would die trying to restore the Great Valley back to normal.<p>

"Littlefoot," called Cera. "Did you go in search for your dad?"

"Yep."

"Did you ever find him?"

"Yeah. It took a long time, but I found him."

"But then why did you stay in Ali's herd after you found your dad?"

"The Old One died and entrusted me in protecting and guiding the herd. When I did find my dad, I told him what happened and that I needed to stay with him. He told me that I needed to protect my herd and that I had grown old enough to not rely on a parent."

"So basically your father told you were a leader and should act like one," she said, not thinking about it.

Littefoot stopped and faced Cera with irritation in his eyes.

"My father never scolded at me when I found him."

"I never say that."

"But you implied it."

"I did? I didn't mean to."

Littlefoot grunted in frustration, "I'm going up ahead to check the area."

As Littlefoot left, Cera looked at Ali.

"I forgot what I truly said. I know it was about his father telling him he was a leader and should act like one."

"It was the way you said it. It's like your dad telling you to act like an adult when you just want to have fun."

"Then I guess I should apologize. Let's catch up to him."

They entered the woods that Littlefoot went into to. The trees had begun to wither, but they weren't dead yet. Some still had leaves that changed yellow. This meant that water was rare here.

The saw Littlefoot in the middle of the forest, looking at the canal. He pressed his foot down on the canal's surface and felt some moisture. He sensed his friends coming and looked up. Cera looked at him.

"Littlefoot, I'm sorry if what I said earlier offended you."

"It's okay, Cera. You didn't really mean it. Look, I found some dirt that is still wet. We're close on finding the problem."

"Littlefoot, I don't think that is drinking water. It smells funny."

Littlefoot sniffed the air and quickly got his foot off of the moisture.

"Gross. Sharptooth water."

Cera and Ali began to laugh hysterically. Littlefoot didn't find it funny, but he soon process what he said.

"Wait. That means a sharptooth is close. We better get moving."

He continued to follow the canal. Ali and Cera laughed silently, remembering the funny face he made.

"Oh, c'mon."

Irritated, Littlefoot continued to walk. Not seeing where he was going, he bonked into a tree. Ali and Cera laughed at his clumsiness. He was about to say something when a brownish Pteranodon landed on his head. The last time Littlefoot had seen this dinosaur, it was a baby. Now it had grown to full size.

"What you doing here? This place's not safe."

"We're trying to find why the river stopped flowing," explained Littlefoot.

"You wasting your time. A big rock blocks water."

"Can you take us there?"

"Why do you want to go there, Longneck? Nothing but swimmers and a spiketail."

"Just take us there, Petrie."

The flyer glided down from Littlefoot's head.

"How you know my name?"

"Petrie, after a while, you've forgotten about me? About all of us?"

Petrie saw the triceratops and the other longneck. Petrie looked up at the longneck who was talking to him. He squinted his eyes and opened them in shock.

"Littlefoot, is that you?"

Littlefoot nodded. Petrie was relieved to see his old friend and hugged his leg.

"I thought you dead."

"Geez, thanks. I took your advice on finding my dad."

"Advice? I just reminded you have a dad. I never say find him."

"Oh, well, that's why I left the Great Valley. I heard what happened from Cera's dad. I'm here to fix it and restore the Great Valley back to normal. You said you know what caused the river to dry here. Can you take us there?"

Thrilled that he was the leader, he nodded.

"We better hurry. Sharptooth not far from here."

* * *

><p>Night had approached them. They were at a base of small valley when Petire said it was in there. Littlefoot knew the others were exhausted from walking and decided to rest for the night. Besides, walking in the dark was dangerous in a small herd.<p>

"Petrie, could you explain why you were alone?" asked Littlefoot.

"My family and I separated to find new land. We have no luck finding home, so we decided to split up and met tomorrow at the Great Valley. I was trying to find home and was sleeping when you hit the tree with your face."

"Oh. So, you'll meet your family tomorrow?"

Petrie nodded,

"Then tell them the water will return."

"No worry. I tell them you alive."

Petrie yawned.

"Time for sleep. Busy day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Petrie."

"Night, Littlefoor."

Petrie flew over to the sleeping Cera and slept nect to her. Littlefoot walked to Ali and rested next to her. He didn't go to sleep. He just laid there, pretending to get some rest. He just didn't want to upset Ali.

He couldn't sleep. This afternoon showed proof that a sharptooth was in the area. He had to be careful. He couldn't risk losing one of his friends, especially Ali.

Littlefoot lifted his head and looked around. He felt some vibrations through the ground as if something was approaching them. the vibrations stopped.

Littlefoot got up and left his friends to see what it was. He walked around the area, close to his friends. He looked through the woods and saw a massive figure of a two-footer. Littlefoot followed it.

Soon, he lost track of the figure. He believed the woods were playing tricks on him. He turned around and started to walk back when something ran out of the shadows and rammed him down. Littlefoot looked up and saw a ferocious sharp-tooth.

As it lunged in to bit Littlefoot, Littlefoot used his tail and whipped the the eye. As the sharp-tooth roared in pain, Littlefoot got up and head-butted the tyrannosaurs. The beast was pushed back, but it didn't fall.

The sharp-tooth roared and lunged at Littlefoot's neck. Littlefoot barely dodged it, but the claws grazed his neck, leaving a claw mark above the marks he had. Littlefoot used his cranium and rammed the sharp-tooth against a tall tree. The force caused the tree to fall on top of the sharp-tooth. It hit the head of the sharp-tooth. It quickly recovered and got up. As it rose to its feet, Littlefoot managed to wrap his tail around its neck. He let the sharp-tooth suffocate as he got a claw mark on his tail. He threw the dead sharp-tooth against a tree and walked back to his group in pain.

As he walked back, Ali was making her way to him. She had heard the commotion and noticed he wasn't there. Worried, she ran to his side.

"Littlefoot, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes," he said as he felt no blood pouring from his new cuts.. "A sharp-tooth was in the area. I took care of it,"

Ali examined him, but she couldn't see the scars left by the sharp-tooth. It was too dark. She nuzzled Littlefoot and rested her head against her cheek.

"Don't scare me like that."

"I'm sorry, but at least everyone is safe."

She lifted her head up and looked at him. She smiled, and they both walked back to Petrie and Cera.

* * *

><p>"This way," said Petrie. "We close."<p>

The sun wasn't at its highest point in the sky, but it was close. Littlefoot and Petrie were ahead of the girls. The girls wanted some time to talk.

"Ali, what are you guys waiting for? Just take it to the next level."

"I want to, but not now. I don't want to distract him. "Besides, he's been mad at me all morning."

"Why?"

"He got injured from fighting that sharp-tooth yesterday. I didn't see the scars until the bright circle. I yelled at him for being some reckless. He should have told us. Well, anyways, he upset at how I don't consider my safety. That's all he wants, but he needs to learn that he has a team. If I was any other longneck, he would probably ask them for help."

"Probably he's afraid of losing up," commented Cera.

She looked down sadly.

"I know," she said and lifted her head, "but he should give me a chance. I want to show him I'm strong too and can protect anyone."

As the girls talked, Littlefoot and Petrie covered the same topic.

"I don't know, Petrie. Maybe I should let her fight, but I'm afraid of losing her."

"She just close to you. You don't want to lose her cause she close to you. She's your family."

"I guess, but every time I feel like I'm doing my job by protecting her, she argues with me. She's still annoyed from this morning."

"I don't know what you should do, but my suggest is to give her a chance to join you if you in danger. I think she just wants to show you she strong."

"You're right."

Petrie looked ahead and smiled.

"We here."

Littlefoot stopped and saw that massive boulders blocked the water's path. The rock dam seemed breakable, but a lot of force would be needed to break it. Cera and Ali stopped a few feet behind Littlefoot. He turned at them and then faced Petrie.

"Petrie, what's on the other side?"

"I go check."

Petrie flew up and looked over the rock dam. The canal was filled with water on the other side of the dam. Petrie smiled at the sight of water. He also saw some swimmers and a spiketail. It finally dawned on him who that spiketail was. He looked down at Littlefoot and the gang.

"Water on other side. I also think I see Spike."

"And if Spike is there, Ducky is also there," concluded Littlefoot. "Now, we just need to break this wall down."

He looked around and saw no loose rocks on the cliffs. He got on his hind legs and used the force of the weight to push down the rock wall. Ali walked up to him and helped him out by doing the same thing. With the two longnecks pushing the wall down, Cera decided to ram the wall.

With that final force, the wall of rocks collapsed. Water rushed through the open canal and flowed all the way back to the Great Valley. Littlefoot and the others cheered. The swimmers and the spiketail walked up to them.

"What was the purpose of that?" the leader swimmer inquired.

"Well, with the water not flowing through, it was killing all the plants along its path. Within time, my home and many others will have green food."

"Where are you from, Longneck?"

He looked back at his friends and then faced the elder.

"The Great Valley."

Gasps echoed across the group. Two full-grown green scaled swimmers walked up to them. Next to them was an adult spiketail.

"Did you say the Great Valley?" asked one of the swimmers. "There were only three longnecks, and two died while the other ran away."

"I came back, Ducky."

"How do you-"

"Littlefoot," said the spiketail.

"You can talk, Spike? That's good."

Ducky's mother, the darker green swimmer, gasped again.

"Littlefoot? My, look how much you've grown."

"A lot has happened to me, and if you are willing to listen, I'll tell my story."

* * *

><p>By the end of spring, plantation had appeared in the Great Valley. It was more than Littlefoot could image and even more from his childhood. Some of the herds that were in the Great Valley returned. Some of Littlefoot's herd made it their home as the others left with Tyson. He had grown to be a great leader as Littlefoot predicted.<p>

Over the course of that year, Littlefoot's tale was told throughout the dinosaur world by air and by land. The longnecks had made his tale into legend amongst them to show the young ones true leadership.

A few years passed after that. All of Littlefoot's friends resided in the Great Valley with their new families. The residents looked at Littlefoot and Topsy to be their leaders, though they would listen to Littlefoot more if anger wasn't involved. He just made sure nothing got to out of hand, especially with his kids. They picked up his side of wondering and adventure. He just wished they were a little more like their mother, even though she was quite the adventurer also.

"Dad," called out the oldest of the children.

"What is it, Tybalt?"

"Mom is calling you."

Littlefoot followed Tybalt to his mother. Ali had their youngest son on her back and looking angrily at him. She heard her husband coming.

"What did Len do this time?"

"I saw him climbing on the stone wall pass."

"Len."

"Sorry Dad. It's just that Gabby told me so much about it that I had to go."

Littlefoot called out her name. The female middle child appeared. Her father's face told her he needed to talk to her.

"Gabby, how many times have I told you to not tell Len where you go? You know your brother will always try to see the places for himself and will go off alone exploring."

"Sorry Dad. It's just that it's so cool."

"I know it is. When I was Tybalt's age, I used to go exploring to."

He looked at his youngest son.

"Len, you need to tell us where you're going. Your mother and I worry about you, about all of you."

"That's right," said Ali. "If something happens, we will be heartbroken. We just want your safety. Len, this is the last time you go on your own to somewhere you know you're too young to go to without your father."

"Yes, Mother."

Ali picked him up and set him next to Gabby.

"Take your brother to the shallow waterhole so he can play with the other babies."

"Wait. Who's watching him?"

"You are," said Littlefoot. "Make sure he's safe."

Gabby sighed.

"C'mon Len."

Len followed her. Littlefoot looked down at Tybalt. He looked up at his father.

"Dad, can I go play with the others?"

"Yes, but also make sure you spend time with your siblings."

"Okay."

The young longneck ran off.

"Boy, these kids give me a headache sometimes," said Littlefoot. "Now I know how my grandparents felt when I was missing."

Ali chuckled.

"Well, it's only natural to worry."

She rubbed her husband's cheek. He returned the affection.

"I love you, Ali."

"And I love you too."

The couple parted from their touching love and walked over to the trees to get some treestars for the kids when they got back.


End file.
